Energy-efficient and semi-automated truck platooning : Research and evaluation
This book presents research and evaluation results of the Austrian flagship project “Connecting Austria,” illustrating the wide range of research needs and questions that arise when semi-automated truck platooning is deployed in Austria. The work presented is introduced in the context of work in similar research areas around the world. This interdisciplinary research effort considers aspects of engineering, road-vehicle and infrastructure technologies, traffic management and optimization, traffic safety, and psychology, as well as potential economic effects.
Endurance time excitation functions : Intensifying dynamic loads for seismic analysis and design
Seismic assessment and earthquake-resistant design are essential applications of earthquake engineering for achieving seismic safety for buildings, bridges, infrastructure, and many other components of the built environment. The Endurance Time Method (ETM) is used for seismic analysis of simple and complex structural systems and civil engineering infrastructure as well as producing optimal and cost-effective structural and detail designs. ETM is a relatively new approach to seismic assessment and design of structures. It has developed into a versatile tool in the field, and its practical applications are expected to increase greatly in the near future.
Endodontic Prognosis : Clinical Guide for Optimal Treatment Outcome
Serves as a clinical guide to help the practitioner improve endodontic treatment outcomes. It focuses on the various factors affecting the prognosis of endodontic treatments and on their impact on short-term and long-term results.
Embedded systems design : The ARTIST roadmap for research and development
Embedded systems now include a very large proportion of the advanced products designed in the world, spanning transport (avionics, space, automotive, trains), electrical and electronic appliances (cameras, toys, televisions, home appliances, audio systems, and cellular phones), process control (energy production and distribution, factory automation and optimization), telecommunications (satellites, mobile phones and telecom networks), and security (e-commerce, smart cards), etc. The extensive and increasing use of embedded systems and their integration in everyday products marks a significant evolution in information science and technology. We expect that within a short timeframe embedded systems will be a part of nearly all equipment designed or manufactured in Europe, the USA, and Asia. There is now a strategic shift in emphasis for embedded systems designers: from simply achieving feasibility, to achieving optimality. Optimal design of embedded systems means targeting a given market segment at the lowest cost and delivery time possible. Optimality implies seamless integration with the physical and electronic environment while respecting real-world constraints such as hard deadlines, reliability, availability, robustness, power consumption, and cost. In our view, optimality can only be achieved through the emergence of embedded systems as a discipline in its own right.
E-health records
Each patient can view his health history electronically, decision makers can view the history of any patient and the treatment methods he underwent during his life and take the necessary measures to reach the patient to optimal health, and the Ministry of Health can obtain medical reports that enable it to take the necessary decisions.
Economics of Accounting : Performance Evaluation
This book Performance Evaluation is divided into four parts. Volume I contains Parts A through D, and the concepts developed in Part A are fundamental to both volumes. In Volume II, Part E initially focuses on optimal contracts in a single-agent /single-task/single-period setting, and explores how performance measure characteristics affect the principal’s expected payoff. Multiple performance measures (including the stock price) and multiple tasks are introduced, thereby creating settings in which the principal is concerned with both the level of incentives and the congruency of the incentives with his own preferences. Part F considers the impact of start-of-period private management information (with communication to the principal) and limited commitment in single-period settings. These analyses serve as a bridge to the multi-period models explored in Part G. These multi-period models permit exploration of the impact of inter-period consumption preferences and limited inter-period commitments on preferences with respect to the inter-period correlation and timing of performance reports. Part H concludes the book with an analysis of multi-agent contracting in settings in which agents may coordinate their actions to their mutual benefit, and may even engage in overt collusion.
Early Life Origins of Health and Disease
Early Life Origins of Health and Disease is a new book which presents and discusses the many factors that may have impact on normal development. In a concise and readable manner, the authors consider both the proven and suggestive evidence that the high prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity and, in some populations, kidney disease, may not be all due to genetics or adult environment alone. There is good evidence that stress and more subtle dietary deficiencies, as well as placental malfunction, may increase the risk that the offspring will develop these problems in later life. Finally, new and emerging evidence for other areas of human health and disease such a motor control and mental health is critically reviewed for the first time. The book is a ‘must’ for all scientists interested in researching these areas, as there is a critical evaluation of the methodology used and suggestions for the ‘optimal’ way in which to investigate these phenomena.
Dynamic Modeling of Monetary and Fiscal Cooperation Among Nations
The first four chapters introduce the reader to the dynamics of fiscal and monetary policy cooperation. Issues covered include: fiscal coordination, fiscal stringency requirements, structural and bargaining power asymmetries and the design of monetary and fiscal policymaking in a monetary union. In the four last chapters multiple-player settings with aspects of fiscal and/or monetary coordination are analyzed using the endogenous coalition formation approach. The analysis is focused on shock and model asymmetries and issues of multi-country coordination in the presence of (possibly many) monetary unions.
Dynamic Inventory Management in Reverse Logistics
The integration of product recovery into regular production processes enables new opportunities for cost savings. In case of a dynamic planning situation, for instance when dealing with seasonality or the product life cycle, new motives for keeping stock arise.
Dynamic Asset Allocation with Forwards and Futures
DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION WITH FORWARD AND FUTURES is an advanced text on the theory of forward and futures markets which aims at providing readers with a comprehensive knowledge of how prices are established and evolve over time, what optimal strategies one can expect from the participants, what characterizes such markets, and what major theoretical and practical differences distinguish futures from forward contracts. The book proposes an approach of these markets from the perspective of dynamic asset allocation and asset pricing theory within an inter-temporal framework. The main ingredients that are used are the assumed absence of frictions and arbitrage opportunities in financial and real markets, the uniqueness of the economic general equilibrium, when such an equilibrium is required and the tools of continuous time finance, namely martingale theory and stochastic dynamic programming. The scope of DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION WITH FORWARD AND FUTURES is essentially theoretical, with emphasis on economic meaning and financial interpretation. Regarding investment and/or hedging, focus is on optimal strategies rather than on actual practice. Simulations, however, are performed when important insights can be delivered as to the practical relevance of some theoretical results. Also, optimal strategies using futures are shown to differ markedly from those using forwards. The following issues are examined: pure hedging, investment and hedging in complete or incomplete markets, currency risk, optimal spreading, presence of stochastic dividend or convenience yields, pricing of non-redundant futures or forwards by means of general equilibrium analysis, and revisiting of existing Capital Asset Pricing Models.
Dynamic Analysis of Structures
Reflects the latest application of structural dynamics theory to produce more optimal and economical structural designs. The author includes carefully worked-out examples which are solved utilizing more recent numerical methods. These examples pave the way to more accurately simulate the behavior of various types of structures. The essential topics covered include principles of structural dynamics applied to particles, rigid and deformable bodies, thus enabling the formulation of equations for the motion of any structure.
Drug and Biological Development : From Molecule to Product and Beyond
Drug and Biological Development: From Molecule to Product and Beyond offers a complete discussion of product development in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries from discovery to product launch, continuing through life cycle management. The book is organized for optimal usefulness in the education and training of health care professionals. The text's narrative descriptions are enhanced by real-life examples, illustrations, controversies in industry, and references. Dr. Ronald Evens and his contributors are industry and research experts in a variety of disciplines.
Domain Decomposition Methods for the Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations
Domain decomposition methods are divide and conquer methods for the parallel and computational solution of partial differential equations of elliptic or parabolic type. They include iterative algorithms for solving the discretized equations, techniques for non-matching grid discretizations and techniques for heterogeneous approximations. This book serves as an introduction to this subject, with emphasis on matrix formulations. The topics studied include Schwarz, substructuring, Lagrange multiplier and least squares-control hybrid formulations, multilevel methods, non-self adjoint problems, parabolic equations, saddle point problems (Stokes, porous media and optimal control), non-matching grid discretizations, heterogeneous models, fictitious domain methods, variational inequalities, maximum norm theory, eigenvalue problems, optimization problems and the Helmholtz scattering problem. Selected convergence theory is included.
Distributed Ledgers : Design and Regulation of Financial Infrastructure and Payment Systems
In this book, Robert Townsend steps back from the hype and controversy surrounding DLT (and the related, but not synonymous, innovations of blockchain and Bitcoin) to offer an economic analysis of what distributed ledgers can do and a blueprint for the optimal design and regulation of financial systems. He analyzes four crucial components of distributed ledgers—ledgers as accounts, e-messages and e-value transfers, cryptography, and contracts—assessing each in terms of both economics and computer science, and forges some middle ground. Relatedly, Townsend highlights hybrid systems in which some of these components allow useful innovation while legacy or alternative pieces deal with the problem of scale.
Dissipative Systems Analysis and Control : Theory and Applications
Dissipative Systems Analysis and Control (second edition) presents a fully revised and expanded treatment of dissipative systems theory, constituting a self-contained, advanced introduction for graduate students, researchers and practising engineers. It examines linear and nonlinear systems with examples of both in each chapter; some infinite-dimensional examples are also included. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the use of the dissipative properties of a system for the design of stable feedback control laws. The theory is substantiated by experimental results and by reference to its application in illustrative physical cases (Lagrangian and Hamiltonian systems and passivity-based and adaptive controllers are covered thoroughly).
Discrete-time Markov jump linear systems
Safety critical and high-integrity systems, such as industrial plants and economic systems, can be subject to abrupt changes - for instance, due to component or interconnection failure, sudden environment changes, etc. Combining probability and operator theory, Discrete-Time Markov Jump Linear Systems provides a unified and rigorous treatment of recent results for the control theory of discrete jump linear systems, which are used in these areas of application. The book is designed for experts in linear systems with Markov jump parameters, but is also of interest for specialists in stochastic control since it presents stochastic control problems for which an explicit solution is possible - making the book suitable for course use.
Digital transformation of the design, construction and management processes of the built environment
This book focuses on the development of methods, interoperable and integrated ICT tools, and survey techniques for optimal management of the building process.
Differential Information Economies
One of the main problems in current economic theory is to write contracts which are Pareto optimal, incentive compatible, and also implementable as a perfect Bayesian equilibrium of a dynamic, noncooperative game. The question arises whether it is possible to provide Walrasian type or cooperative equilibrium concepts which have these properties. This volume contains original contributions on noncooperative and cooperative equilibrium notions in economies with differential information and provides answers to the above questions. Moreover, issues of stability, learning and continuity of alternative equilibria are also examined.
Differential Evolution ; Vol.5 : In Search of Solutions
The human being aspires to the best possible performance. Both individuals and enterprises are looking for optimal—in other words, the best possible—solutions for situations or problems they face. Most of these problems can be expressed in mathematical terms, and so the methods of optimization undoubtedly render a significant aid. In cases where there are many local optima; intricate constraints; mixed-type variables; or noisy, time-dependent or otherwise ill-defined functions, the usual methods don’t give satisfactory results. Are you seeking fresh ideas or more efficient methods, or do you perhaps want to be well-informed about the latest achievements in optimization? If so, this book is for you. This book develops a unified insight on population-based optimization through Differential Evolution, one of the most recent and efficient optimization algorithms. You will find, in this book, everything concerning Differential Evolution and its application in its newest formulation.
Differential Evolution : A Practical Approach to Global Optimization
Problems demanding globally optimal solutions are ubiquitous, yet many are intractable when they involve constrained functions having many local optima and interacting, mixed-type variables. The differential evolution (DE) algorithm is a practical approach to global numerical optimization which is easy to understand, simple to implement, reliable, and fast. Packed with illustrations, computer code, new insights, and practical advice, this volume explores DE in both principle and practice. It is a valuable resource for professionals needing a proven optimizer and for students wanting an evolutionary perspective on global numerical optimization.



















